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      I played for Man Utd and was in academy with Defoe but another ‘crazy’ striker was better – no one could touch him

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      FORMER Manchester United wonderkid Daniel Nardiello has opened up on what life was like training with some of the best prospects in England. Back in the 1990s, a then 15-year-old Nardiello was sent to Lilleshall in Shropshire, where many of the country’s best young footballers lived together and learnt their trade.
      Daniel Nardiello has revealed one player who was a ‘crazy’ talentCredit: Getty
      Nardiello was joined by the likes of Jermain Defoe and Neil Danns.
      However, he reckons none of them came close to the “untouchable” talent of Leon Knight.
      Speaking on the Undr the Cosh podcast, Nardiello said: I shared a room with Knighty for a year.
      “I was a 15-year-old lad, just left home, sharing a room with Knighty. Oh my word, he’s crazy. No other words for it.
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      “He’s the nicest lad as long as you keep on the right side of him. Get on the wrong side of him and he is absolutely ruthless.
      “Great player, but angry man. Get on the wrong side of him and he’ll never forgive you.”
      Knight was a Chelsea trainee at the time, and would go on to make one appearance for the senior team in the Uefa Cup.
      However, his career would ultimately lie elsewhere, going on to star for the likes of Brighton, Swansea and Huddersfield.
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      The 5ft 5″ striker scored over 100 goals across his career, including 80 in England’s football league.
      On Knight, Nardiello added: “I wouldn’t want to fight him. He’s a tough lad.
      “I remember we played at Barnsley together for a few months, he came on loan.
      “But what he put the young lads through – initiations and stuff like that – he was ruthless. A great lad, some good times with him.
      “He was the best player there [at Lilleshall].
      “There was Joe Cole who was the year above us, and obviously he was unbelievable, he was their main man – but we had Leon Knight.
      “At that age there was no one that could touch him.
      Leon Knight was ‘untouchable’Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      “Jermain Defoe was there who obviously went on and had an unbelievable career but Knighty was untouchable.
      “You’d think he’d go on to be an absolute world beater because he was that good at 15, 16.
      “He had a good career, but at that age you couldn’t touch him. And he was small then, obviously.
      “But he just ran rings around teams. We beat everyone every week anyway, as you’d expect, but he was scoring like five, six goals a game. He was playing in the age group above, he was that good.”
      Knight, 40, retired in 2012.
      Speaking to WalesOnline in 2006, Tony Carroll, then-chairman of famed East London youth football club Senrab, drew comparisons to Knight with ex-England and Tottenham ace Defoe – with them pairing up at Senrab in their youth days.
      He said: “They were absolutely unbelievable as a partnership, just like a pair or whippets, so very, very quick.
      “If I had to say which one was better when they were 13 or 14 I would say it was Leon. It was a close-run thing and there wasn’t much in it, but he was just ahead on points.
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      “You could see he had that bit of class even at that age. Jermain was nearly as good and they just used to dish out the goals between them.
      “The team would win 6-0 and they would score three each. There was always a bit of friendly rivalry to see who could score the most.” More

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      I was a Premier League cult hero for smashing up ground celebrating but now I want to make history as boss at Euro 24

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      NEWCASTLE cult hero Temuri Ketsbaia is determined to lead Cyprus to glory at Euro 2024 next year.Ketsbaia, 55, joined the Magpies in 1997 and scored 14 goals in 107 appearances during his three-year spell at St James’ Park.
      Ketsbaia is keen to lead Cyprus to Euro gloryCredit: Reuters
      The former midfielder is arguably best well known for his wild celebration against BoltonCredit: Alamy

      But arguably his most memorable moment in black and white came during a Premier League match against Bolton in March 1998.
      After coming off the bench in the 79th minute of the clash with the score at 1-1, the Georgian midfielder came out of nowhere to score a last-minute winner.
      He then whipped his shirt off, launched it into the crowd and proceeded to kick lumps out of the advertising boards surrounding the pitch.
      Many Newcastle fans were left baffled by the outrageous celebration, but Ketsbaia explained that it was his way of letting out the frustration that he had built-up after being named on the bench earlier in the day.
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      At the time, he said: “Sometimes when you score a goal and there is some disappointment and you express yourself in the wrong way. It was a bad moment for me.
      “Even when you score a goal, even at that moment, sometimes bad things can happen – not bad things, I just lost my control.
      “I did much better things in Newcastle, and people only remember this one!”
      Now, 25 years on from that moment of madness, Ketsbaia hopes to use his passion to inspire Cyprus to glory at Euro 2024.
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      The former Newcastle star became Cyprus manager in June last year.
      And he is determined to lead the nation to next summer’s European Championships in Germany.
      However, Cyprus currently sit fifth in their qualifying group, which includes Spain and Norway, having played one game.
      Ketsbaia’s side suffered a 3-0 defeat to Scotland last week.
      John McGinn opened the scoring in the first half before Manchester United’s Scott McTominay sealed all three points with two goals late in the game.
      Ahead of the defeat, Ketsbaia said: “We know we are not favourites in our group in any game we play. But that gives us more motivation to prove people are wrong.
      “This is something we have to have in our mind.
      “It’s going to be difficult and with many challenges. But in football now you can never say one team is 100 per cent sure to get the result. We want to show we can get very difficult away results.” More

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      Man City 4 Liverpool 1 LIVE RESULT: Guardiola’s men close gap on Arsenal in title race with dominant win over Reds

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      MAN CITY have closed the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with a 4-1 win over Liverpool. Mohamed Salah put the Reds ahead with a brilliant finish, but Julian Alvarez has now equalised with a tap-in from Jack Grealish’s cross.
      And straight after the break, De Bruyne made it 2-1, tapping in from Riyad Mahrez’s cross, before Ilkay Gundogan made it 3-1.
      Jack Grealish then made it four as he placed home after De Bruyne’s pass.

      Kick-off time: 12:30pm BST
      Live stream: BT Sport website or app
      TV channel: BT Sport 1
      Man City XI: Ederson, Stones, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), De Bruyne, Mahrez, Grealish, Alvarez
      Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott, Jota, Salah, Gakpo

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      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      That’s all from the Etihad!
      It’s been the match that seals Premier League titles in the past, but this contest between Manchester City and Liverpool may be the one that finally sparks the champions into chasing Arsenal down at the top of the table.
      Without Erling Haaland, City were brilliant throughout, and thoroughly deserving of their 4-1 victory – despite the shock of Mo Salah’s early opener.
      For Liverpool, however, questions will continue to be asked until a summer rebuild takes place.
      So, with the gap narrowed to five points, it’s over to Arsenal – literally.
      Here’s the live blog of the Gunners’ home game with Leeds, in which they have just gone 1-0 up through a Gabriel Jesus penalty.
      Thanks for joining us here, and goodbye.
      Extra! Read all about it!
      Before we bow out of the blog, let’s recap on this afternoon’s action with Neil Custis’ match report of Manchester City’s 4-1 thumping over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
      This was magnificent Manchester City at their very best. Be warned Arsenal, they will not go away.If the Gunners want their Premier League trophy they might just have to break into the Etihad to get it. Pep Guardiola’s men know how to win titles, know how to stay the course, know how to chase down an opponent.Neil CustisThe Sun

      Klopp dismisses Rodri red claims
      Jurgen Klopp refused to be drawn in detail as to whether Simon Hooper’s decision not to show Rodri a second yellow card in the first half was a factor in the eventual result.
      The Manchester City midfielder had been booked two minutes earlier when he bundled over Cody Gakpo from behind, prompting furious protests from Liverpool players.
      Could he have got a second yellow? Probably. I’m not sure we would have won against 10 men today, to be honestJurgen KloppLFCTV
      Liverpool let the lead slip
      It all looked so good for Liverpool when Mo Salah fired them in front on 17 minutes.
      But an hour and a half later, and Jurgen Klopp’s players were trudging off the field after a comprehensive defeat.
      It is the the first time that the Reds have lost a Premier League match in which they opened the scoring since February 2021 when they were beaten 3-1 by Leicester.
      Since then, the Reds had gone unbeaten in 44 such matches, winning 39 and drawing five.
      They had won the last 22 in a row after scoring first.
      Guard of honour! Pep hails heroes
      Manchester City Pep Guardiola didn’t want to focus on individuals in his post-match interview, instead suggesting that today’s win was one of the most impressive during his tenure at the Etihad Stadium.
      From minute one to minute 90, it was the perfect performance. We played really, really good in all departments. One of the best performances in my seven years.Pep GuardiolaBT Sport

      The Greal deal! Jack steals show
      Despite admitting that he spent the morning being sick in the bathroom, Jack Grealish turned in his best performance in a Manchester City shirt.
      The former Villa star was a menace throughout, toying with the likes Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho from the off.
      The City wide man scored one, set up another, and even executed a brilliant goal-saving block in the first half to keep the score at one-each.

      1 goal
      1 assist
      73 touches
      2/2 dribbles completed
      6 duels won
      4 fouls won
      3 shots
      3 shots on target
      1 chance created

      One hundred home comforts for Pep
      This afternoon’s 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool was Manchester City’s 100th Premier League home win under Pep Guardiola.
      The Spanish mastermind brought up a century of home wins in just 128 matches, making him the fastest manager to do in the Premier League era.
      Guardiola’s milestone breaks the previous record of Arsene Wenger, who brought up 100 Premier League home wins in 139 games.
      Match stats from the Etihad
      Manchester City have won four Premier League games in a row for the first time this season – and few will have been as comprehensive as this.

      Full time – Man City 4-1 Liverpool
      Simon Hooper calls time on a superb second half performance from Manchester City.
      Following a fiercely contested first period, it took just 50 seconds for Kevin De Bruyne to force the hosts in front following the break – and from that point, they never looked back.
      Further goals from Ilkay Gundogan and the excellent Jack Grealish blew Liverpool away, for whom it never got better than Mo Salah’s opener.
      With the win, City close the gap at the top of the table to five points.
      Over to you, Arsenal.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool
      90. Three minutes of stoppage time are signalled by the fourth official.
      They’re going to be a painful 180 seconds for the remaining Liverpool fans.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool – Man City substitution
      88. Jack Grealish’s best performance in a Manchester City shirt has come to an end.
      The England international comes off to a standing ovation, and earns an embrace from his manager as he’s replaced by young Cole Palmer.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool
      86. Grealish is loving life out on the Etihad pitch.
      Another thrilling run, another cheeky back-heel, and it almost sets up a chance for Gundogan to head in number five.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool – Man City substitution
      84. Rodri is off – although Liverpool fans will feel he’s leaving the pitch 50 minutes later than he should have done.
      On his place comes Bernardo Silva, who wasn’t deemed fit enough to play more than a cameo by Pep Guardiola.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool – Liverpool substitution
      82. Liverpool’s final change sees James Milner on for his 609th Premier League appearance.
      Not that he’s given a warm welcome from the City fans, who boo a player that they used to cheer when he wore blue.
      Cody Gakpo takes a breather for the final eight minutes.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool
      80. It’s not unusual for City to blow away an opponent at the Etihad, but there’s been such a gulf in class between these two sides in recent seasons.
      It’s proper men against boys stuff out there at the moment.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool
      78. “This could get ugly for Liverpool,” ponders concerned commentator Darren Fletcher.
      It certainly seems to be a question of how many City want.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool
      76. The City fans are, unsurprisingly, in full voice now, enjoying every moment.
      The Liverpool fans, meanwhile, are making for the exits in their droves.
      Man City 4-1 Liverpool
      74. Jack Grealish has his goal, sliding in number four!
      It’s another lovely move, but one that owes as much to Liverpool’s lack of desire as it does to City’s excellence.
      It’s Grealish that starts the attack, collecting Rodri’s pass on the left and dinking a pass down the line for Kevin De Bruyne.
      At that point, Trent Alexander-Arnold decides to give up on tracking back, allowing Grealish to continue his run unchallenged and convert De Bruyne’s reverse pass.
      Four goals for City, and soon to be a fourth straight win.

      A deserved goal!

      Man City 3-1 Liverpool
      72. Grealish sets off again from the left, cutting inside and teasing the Liverpool defence.
      Just as another right-footed curler looks likely, the City man pauses an opts for a simple lay-off to De Bruyne.
      Man City 3-1 Liverpool – Liverpool quadruple substitution
      70. Here we go!
      On are sent Kostas Tsimikas, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez.
      Off go Andy Robertson, Harvey Elliott, Diogo Jota and – most surprisingly – Mo Salah.
      Perhaps a sign that Jurgen Klopp is consolidating rather than chasing unlikely points.
      Man City 3-1 Liverpool
      68. “Liverpool need help here,” suggests co-commentator Lucy Ward.
      It looks like they’re going to get it with the arrival of four substitutes.
      Man City 3-1 Liverpool
      67. Cool, calm and collected, City’s players are in complete control – literally.
      After a ridiculously long passing sequence, Mahrez wins his side a corner when his cross is booted behind by Van Dijk.
      Man City 3-1 Liverpool
      65. The Liverpool boss has seen enough, and is preparing a mass of changes.
      Can the newcomers spark the visitors back into this contest?
      Man City 3-1 Liverpool
      63. In his technical area, Jurgen Klopp is wearing the same forlorn look that he has had for much of the season.
      Load more entries… More

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      Fulham hoping Arteta and Guardiola can save them as Marco Silva aims to dodge huge ban over Man Utd row

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      FULHAM are ready to turn to the history books in a bid to avoid a lengthy ban for boss Marco Silva.Silva, 45, has admitted a misconduct charge for comments aimed at ref Chris Kavanagh when he was sent off during his team’s FA cup defeat at Manchester United last month.
      Marco Silva saw red in Fulham’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester UnitedCredit: Alamy
      The Portuguese is heading for his second touchline ban of the season but has already apologised for the remarks.
      Fulham accept their head coach must be punished.
      But there are fears Silva will be made an example of as manager behaviour becomes a growing issue in the game.
      In 2018 then-Arsenal manager Unai Emery received just an £8,000 fine for kicking a water bottle into the crowd during a match against Brighton – hitting a spectator.
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      Pep Guardiola was not even charged earlier this year when he booted a water bottle into the Leeds United dugout, striking a member of staff.
      FA chiefs are growing increasingly concerned about dugout antics by managers.
      They appealed to get Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp a one-game touchline ban for hurling abuse at a fourth official earlier this season when he was initially let off with just a £30,000 fine.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta publicly mocked referee Simon Hooper during his team’s 4-2 win at Aston Villa in February.
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      Silva has been clobbered along with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic who shoved Kavanagh during a heated rant in the same game.
      Fulham can point to at least half a dozen incidents where players laid hands on the referee but were not banned stretching back to the turn of the millennium.
      Unai Emery got an £8,000 fine after kicking a water bottle into the crowd at BrightonCredit: Rex Features
      Mikel Arteta mocked the referee during Arsenal’s 4-2 win at Aston VillaCredit: Sky Sports
      Pep Guardiola escaped punishment for his antics at LeedsCredit: Reuters
      Aleksandr Mitrovic also got sent off for his angry reaction and shoving Chris KavanaghCredit: PA More

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      Arsenal given fresh hope as they line up THIRD transfer bid for Barcelona star Raphinha in the summer

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      ARSENAL have been handed a new hope in their bid to land Raphinha, reports suggest. The Gunners tried to buy the winger last summer and in January, but saw Barcelona sign him before the Brazilian rejected a mid-season move.
      Barcelona have set Raphinha’s asking priceCredit: Rex
      However, with Barcelona still in an unenviable financial situation, Arsenal’s long-term pursuit has been handed a boost.
      According to Football Insider, Raphinha is one player who could be put up for sale in the summer.
      This comes with Barcelona looking to raise funds worth as much as £178million.
      And the report reveals Barcelona want to recoup at least as much as they paid to sign the 26-year-old.
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      The Spanish giants agreed a £55m transfer for Raphinha from Leeds.
      After an initial period where he struggled to adapt, Raphinha’s form has taken an upturn following the World Cup.
      Indeed, he has contributed to six goals in his last ten league games having previously contributed to four in 15.
      Raphinha is a Premier League-proven talent, having scored 17 goals and adding 12 assists during his two years at Elland Road.
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      On Barca’s financial issues, La Liga chief executive Javier Tebas explained: “We have strict economic controls. At the end of each window, we tell all the clubs in La Liga what they can spend.
      “In the case of Barcelona, they have to drop from spending on wages and transfers from 650m euros to 450m euros – so it’s a budget of minus 200m Euros.”
      However, any sale of Raphinha would come after Barca boss Xavi hailed him as “the future of Barcelona”. More

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      Chelsea fans troll Real Madrid by asking ‘haven’t you learned from Eden Hazard?’ amid Reece James transfer talk

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      CHELSEA fans have trolled Real Madrid amid rumours they want to sign Reece James. The LaLiga side supposedly want to sign both Jude Bellingham and the Blues defender this summer.
      Reece James is reportedly wanted by Real MadridCredit: Alamy
      Fans have trolled Real Madrid, comparing Eden Hazard’s injury hit spell at the club to Reece James’ fitness troublesCredit: Reuters
      Outlet AS report that the two England stars are their top two transfer targets.
      Chelsea have a history of losing players to Real Madrid, with the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rudiger and Eden Hazard all switching West London for the Spanish capital.
      Hazard made the move in 2019 for a fee of £88million and has struggled with persistent injuries since.
      The Belgian has only played 73 times for the club, scoring just seven goals.
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      James has had similar regular injury troubles, missing 18 Chelsea matches this season and the World Cup.
      It has led to fans joking that Real Madrid risk making the same mistake by signing an injury prone Premier League star.
      One supporter said: “Madrid wants a taste of James’ injury record. I thought they’ve learnt from Hazard.”
      Another reacted: “Reece James would play like two games, get injured and then not be seen again until 2028.”
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      A third added: “Hazard all over again.”
      James penned a new deal at Stamford Bridge in September, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028.
      The Blues are supposedly ready to offload a number of players at the end of the season to trim a bloated squad, yet the 23-year-old is not one up for sale. More

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      Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag gives go ahead for £88m Goncalo Ramos transfer… but move depends on who owner is

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are prepared to launch an £88million bid for Goncalo Ramos, reports suggest. However, the move will depend on who takes over the club.
      Goncalo Ramos could move to Manchester United in an £88million dealCredit: EPA
      The 21-year-old forward has been in electric form this season, scoring 24 goals and adding a further ten assists in all competitions.
      Ramos shot to fame outside of Portugal after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal team and scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup last 16 against Switzerland.
      Spanish outlet AS report Erik Ten Hag has given the green light for United to sign him, although current club Benfica will not sell for any less than £88m.
      Such a large fee will require big financial muscles, something United could boast depending on the outcome of their ongoing takeover battle.
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      Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the two frontrunners in the process.
      But Sheikh Jassim’s group pack far more financial muscle than the Brit’s, already placing a world-record £5bn bid down to buy the club from current owners the Glazers.
      Ten Hag has already spoken about the need to bring in more firepower in the summer, with the likes of Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen also linked with a transfer.
      Regardless, he has called on five stars to score more goals to ease the burden on talisman Marcus Rashford, though omitted Weghorst from his list.
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      He said: “I think we have players like Bruno [Fernandes], like Jadon Sancho, like Anthony Martial, like Scott McTominay, like Antony dos Santos, we have enough players with the capabilities to score goals, definitely.
      “What I said previously, I work in the back on next season [for transfers] but we’re working now on this season, so first of all make sure everyone is available and keep improving the way of play and that’s the best chance of scoring more goals.”
      Other than Rashford, Fernandes is the only player in the United team to hit double figures this season.
      United have been handed a boost by the return of Martial, with Ten Hag saying he can be in the squad to play in Sunday’s clash against Newcastle. More

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      Manor Solomon is Fulham’s Israeli ace who was rated above Mudryk at Shakhtar and who’s joined in London by stunning Wag

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      MYKHAILO MUDRYK was the talk of the town when he made a move to Chelsea in January that could be worth up to £89m.But in the same corner of West London, another winger from Shakhtar Donetsk is strutting his stuff.
      Manor Solomon has a decent haul of five goals for Fulham so farCredit: Alamy
      He has been joined in London by girlfriend Dana VoshinaCredit: https://www.instagram.com/danavoshina13/?hl=en
      And many at the Ukrainian club felt he was even better than the 22-year-old Chelsea ace.
      Manor Solomon is just a year older than Mudryk but kept the starlet on the bench while he started at left wing for Shakhtar.
      In fact it was only when Solomon made the move to Fulham that Mudryk got his big break.
      Though Mudryk did appear fleetingly in the 2021-22 season, he made just 19 appearances compared to Solomon’s 25.
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      Once Solomon left, he played 18 times for Shakhtar before January netting a hugely impressive haul of ten from left wing.
      Israeli star Solomon is still on the books of Shakhtar and would never have been allowed to leave at all were it not for Fifa introducing a loophole in their transfer rules following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
      To the fury of Ukrainian clubs, football’s governing body deemed that any player playing in either Russia or Ukraine would be allowed to go out on loan if they chose to do so, with Fulham taking advantage of the rule.
      And he has been joined in London by stunning girlfriend Dana Voshina.
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      Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk was often kept out of the Shakhtar team by SolomonCredit: PA
      Manor Solomon and his girlfriend Dana Voshina appear to be loving life in LondonCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CX1LwKLPgJ4/?hl=en
      Voshina often shares holiday snapsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/danavoshina13/?hl=en
      She is slowly building up an Instagram followingCredit: https://www.instagram.com/danavoshina13/?hl=en
      And she seems to love supporting the CottagersCredit: https://www.instagram.com/danavoshina13/?hl=en
      One year his junior, she is currently studying communication and political science and has started to gather a strong Instagram following, which has just gone over 10k.
      The Israeli-born student regularly shares holiday snaps and appears to be loving life in London judging by her posts.
      And with Solomon having just a year left on his Shakhtar contract, and bagging five goals in 14 games for Fulham, they could yet push through a cut price deal and settle at Craven Cottage permanently. More